Ανεπιθύμητοι Συμπατριώτες / Unwanted Compatriots
Δημοσιεύθηκε από Abravanel στο 23/03/2008
Ανεπιθύμητοι Συμπατριώτες (220 pages – 2005)
Υπάρχουν μερικά σημεία στη σύγχρονη ιστορία της Ελλάδας που γεννούν σκληρά ερωτήματα. Με το 70% του προπολεμικού εβραϊκού της πληθυσμού να έχει εξοντωθεί στα στρατόπεδα του ναζισμού, η χώρα βρίσκεται σε μια από τις πρώτες θέσεις στη θλιβερή σύγκριση, ξεπερνώντας ακόμα και το ίδιο το Ράιχ. Φταίνε μόνο οι ξένοι κατακτητές γι’ αυτή την επίδοση;
Την ίδια εποχή, στη διάρκεια του τελευταίου Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου, μια ιστορική μειονότητα, οι μουσουλμάνοι Τσάμηδες της Ηπείρου, «εκκαθαρίστηκαν» με τον πλέον απόλυτο τρόπο.
Δεν είναι παιχνίδια προπαγάνδας- ανθελληνικής ή φιλελληνικής- αυτά τα ζητήματα. Είναι θέματα ιστορικά, με καίριο και πολύπλευρο ενδιαφέρον. Η τυχόν αποφυγή των απαντήσεων, της έρευνας για το τι έγινε και πώς έγινε, υπονομεύει καθοριστικά την ιστορική και πολιτική μας παιδεία και ανοίγει τον δρόμο για νέες «απρόσμενες» εξάρσεις των παθών και των εγκλημάτων. Αλίμονο στα έθνη και στις κοινωνίες που πιστεύουν ότι βρίσκονται πάνω και πέρα από την ιστορία και ότι είναι «εξ ορισμού» αναμάρτητες…
http://www.protoporia.gr/protoporia/product.asp?sku=269876&mscssid=L2TGV5MUA6N98P2ADMUP83
This, relatively small, book of Y.Margaritis deals with the fates of two communities which were present in the greek territory and perished in WW2, jews and chams (τσάμηδες). Both subjects remain hugely a taboo for Greece and books on these subjects are scarce and usually limited to the academic community.
The book, practically the collection of Y.Margaritis previous works is divided into two distinct parts, dealing with chami and jews. The first part is divided into 4 chapters:
- Greek Antisemitism: a tour 1821, 1891, 1931.
- The extermination of Greek Jews: ideology, social tensions and time coincidences
- Greek Judaism and the antifascist Resistance
- The Greek Orthodox Church and the Holocaust
The second part is divided into 2 chapters:
- The mishaps of the Chami until their expulsion in the 1940’s.
- The Greek Chami – Supplement
The book definitely does not try to take a complete overview on the matters dealt with, after all these are articles from conventions whose participants usually had a minimum knowledge on these matters. Still it tries to highlight specific episodes and enrich them with details, which I wasn’t always aware of. For example it deals with the only jewish community which escaped the massacres during the period of the Greek Independance War in 1821, Chalkida; it states that this city was handed to Greece after the establishment of the new state and that was the reason of the community’s survival. Therefore it’s misleading to claim the town as an example of the lack of animosity towards jews by the rebels, when discussing the massacres of jews during the War of Independence of 1821 as often happens.
Same goes for the other matters it deals with and in my opinion here lays the strength of this book. Also another aspect which I personally enjoyed was the handsome amount of footnotes; these weren’t simply limited to bibliographic references but also highlighted folklorist aspects or talked about how society perceived various episodes then.
The author of course has an opinion and does not try to hide it; on the other hand the mild tone of the book does not colour events and allows the reader reach also his own conclusions. This book definitely enriches the reader interested in the matters of how the young greek state dealt with a religious and an ethnic minority which didn’t fit the ideal of a greek Greece and how WW2 helped in shaping fates and futures.
Thoroughly recommended for those interested. :)
ps. This review deals with the jewish part of the book. For the part regarding the τσάμηδες/ chams you can visit a great post by the doctor.
Ααρών Μνησιβιάδης είπε
καλά μη τρελλαθούμε, οι Τσάμηδες μόνοι τους το έφαγαν το κεφάλι τους. όσο για τους αλλοεθνείς πληθυσμούς εντός Ελλάδος εντάσσονται στα πλαία μιας εποχής που και στις γειτονικές μας χώρες αντιστοίχως υπήρχαν συμπαγείς ελληνικοί πληθυσμοί (Τουρκία, Αίγυπτος, Βουλγαρία).
Abravanel είπε
As I’ve said in a past post:
Οι διωξεις, (διοικητικου τυπου), ειχαν αρχισει απο το 1923 και τοτε δεν υπηρχε καν σαν ιδεα η συνεργασια με την Ιταλια. Σημειωτεον οι τσαμηδες που εχασαν τις περιουσιες τοτε δημιουργησαν τον πυρηνα των τσαμικων διεκδικησεων για αποζημιωσεις, (και ποτε και αυτονομια κτλ), στο νεο τοτε κρατος της Αλβανιας.
Αλλωστε ο touki τα εχει γραψει πολυκαλυτερα απο εμενα:
http://tuki8eblom.blogspot.com/2008/03/doctor.html
αγκάθι είπε
Οι τσάμηδες συνεργάστηκαν με τους Γερμανούς ,καθώς και άλλοι Αλβανοί
Στην Αλβανία και στο Κοσσυφοπέδιο υπήρχαν αλβανικά τάγματα των φαφεν Ες Ες
Ο ελληνικός λαός μαζί με τον σέρβικο ήταν οι μόνοι λαοί που αντιστάθηκαν
στον ναζισμό στην περιοχή
Δεν καταλαβαίνω γιατί ενας άνθρωπος εβραικής καταγωγής,υπερασπίζεται τους
δολοφόνους του λαού του
Μπουρμπουλήθρας είπε
αγκάθι Είπε:
Οι τσάμηδες συνεργάστηκαν με τους Γερμανούς ,καθώς και άλλοι Αλβανοί
—- Το ιδιο κ’ Ποντιοι στην Βορεια Ελλαδα(Κισα Μπατζακ κτλ), Βλαχοι (Λεγεωνα Διαμαντη), “κανονικοι” (με την εννοια του μη μειονοτικου) Ελληνες. Γιατι κανενας δεν τους κυνηγησε αυτους;
plagal είπε
Δηλαδη, οι Τσαμηδες συνεργαστηκαν ολοι με τους Γερμανους? Αντρες, γυναικες, παιδια, γεροι, γριες? Κατι σαν τα Ορκς του Σαρουμαν ενα πραμα? Τετοιου ειδους γενικευσεις ειναι τραγικες…
Συνειδητοποιω επισης πως η μοιρα των Τσαμηδων μοιαζει αρκετα και με τη μοιρα των Γερμανοφωνων στις χωρες ανατολικα της Γερμανιας. Και συνειδητοποιω πως μετα απο εξηντα και πλεον χρονια, το μονο που μπορουμε να κανουμε και να εχει νοημα ειναι να καταγραφουμε την πληρη ιστορικη αληθεια, με τις ασχημιες και τις ομορφιες της, και να εχουμε ανοιχτα τα ματια μας οταν παρομοιες ασχημιες (ή ομορφιες) συμβαινουν και στους καιρους μας.
Abravanel είπε
Η προσπαθεια εκδιωξης των τσαμηδων δεν ξεκινησε το 1940 αλλα απο το 1923 κ.ε. οταν εγινε η προσπαθεια να φυγουν μαζι με τους ανταλλαξιμους τουρκικους πληθυσμους. Τα περι συνεργασιας υπηρξαν μονο η αφορμη και οχι η αιτια.
Απο εκει και περα προφανως δεν συμφωνω με τις επιλογες ενος σημαντικου μερους των τσαμηδων εντος και εκτος οριων της ελληνικης επικρατειας αλλα αυτο ειναι ασχετο με το θεμα του διωγμου, διοτι αυτο πηγαζε απο προσπαθεια “εξελληνισμου” της περιοχης και οχι απο τα “κριμματα” τους.
Και ας αφησουμε τον μυθο οτι μονο οι σερβοι και οι ελληνες αντισταθηκαν στους γερμανους. Με αυτη την λογικη η Βουλγαρια θα επρεπε να αποτελει παραδειγμα ανθρωπισμου γιατι εσωσε το συνολο των εβραιων βουλγαρων, παρα τις εντονες πιεσεις της Γερμανιας. Ελα ομως που προθυμα “παραχωρησε” τους εβραιους ελληνες της Θρακης οταν αυτοι αρνηθηκαν να αλλαξουν εθνικοτητα, συνεργαζομενη ενεργα με τον ναζισμο. Αρα η Βουλγαρια τι ειναι, αγγελος ή δαιμονας; Ολα τα κρατη ειχαν τις φωτεινες και σκοτεινες στιγμες και αυτο συμπεριλαμβανει και την Ελλαδα και ολη την υπολοιπη Ευρωπη της εποχης. Προφανεστατα η αναλογια δεν ειναι παντου η ιδια αλλα αυτο δεν πρεπει να μας οδηγει να κρινουμε το συνολο και οχι συγκεκριμενες πραξεις.
Blade είπε
I was under the impression that this post/blog entry dealt “ with the Jewish part of the book. For the part regarding the τσάμηδες/ chams you can visit….r”
Well, Greeks are somehow opening up to the chami taboo subject, or at least they acknowledge the occurrence (even though they “explain” it with double standards simplicistic and populist rhetoric’s”).
But when it comes to our local Jewish issue……..complete void. And it is most shocking to realize that most Greeks don’t really have the faintest idea of what happened.
Certainly the early making of the young Greek state is taught in a certain mythological way, and ascertain the “true” facts is no easy task. But WW2? The Holocaust? It’s common knowledge.
86% of the Greek Jews perished in WW2, most of them exterminated by the Nazis. Over 90% of the Jewish community of Salonika were deported to the death camps. 70% of them didn’t return home.
The same figures read for Corfu and other islands.
The nearly total extermination of Greece’s 80,000-strong Jewish community couldn’t have been achieved without the knowledge and, I’m afraid, consent of the local gentile community.
But, to acknowledge the fact would also mean to acknowledge the consent. And thus, the guilt, the blemish and blemished history.
No more of “small, but good and honest Greece” the perennial victim of outbound evil. Always, the innocent victim, never the sinner. Never the culprit. Never the monster.
Abravanel είπε
Generalization is always a flawed tactic. We cannot in all honesty say that Greece had been a collaborationist state in the deportation of Jews like the Vichy France, Poland or Slovakia. Same way we cannot say that Greece was a State which did everything in it’s power to save Jews like Denmark did.
What we did see was a mixture between active help, mainly indifference and in cases active support of the deportation of the jewish community; this mainly depended on the different relationships between jews and christians before the war on a local level.
For example in Athens the local Archibissop put all his weight in demonstrating his opposition to the deportations. He dragged all the people he could and was a beacon of humanity in that era. Same goes for the Athens police chief Evert who together with many athenians saved hundreds of Jews. Same thing goes for Volos, Katerini, Zakythnos and other cities.
On the other hand we had the example of Corfu, where the local authorities actively helped the Germans and where protagonists in the deportations and looting afterwards. People like the Mayor Kollas are the shame of the greek people. We cannot also say the the local people excelled in helping their compatriots.
And then we have the case of Thessaloniki. There the jews never lived in a ghetto and interacted daily with the local christian community. This ensured that a considerable part of the christian community was saddened by the forced labor and the deportations afterwards. Still we must admit that the majority was indifferent. On the other hand the complete lack of, even symbolic, solidarity by part of any Association or State Authority is a page of shame. Even more was the greed and criminal behavior of the Governor of Macedonia and the Mayor of Thessaloniki, which destroyed the hundreds of thousands strong Jewish Cemetery for personal profit. The wide number of people who participated in the looting forces us to say that while we lacked serious collaboration in the deportations, the looting afterwards was often the work only of christians.
Quoting Venizelos I see. :)
As I said, cannot call Greece “monster”. Neither we can think of it as a culprit in the extermination of the Greek Jewry. She is guilty of trying to erase jewish historic memory afterwards but this is another problem. ;)
But if we do not state our clear disassociation from the criminal acts in Corfu and Thessaloniki, we justify these crimes and thus we become their heirs. If we keep saying “bygones are bygones” without ever acknowledging what happened and who did it, then it means that we become the heirs of the burden that these acts bestow whether we like it or not. Absolution, not by the Jewish Community but from the conscience of oneself, does not come with smiles or half-hearted admissions of a wrong-doing without ever stating clearly who was responsible for what.
Blade είπε
How right and precise you are!
I’m not flattering you, trust me. I just love constructive demolition, 1.It’s a clear indication of a disciplined mind, 2. it has a clear strategic and tactical edge.(I admit I loved the bit about “flawed tactic”. It fires back, I guess. Can I use it without copyright infringement of any kind?), 3. I’m going to always keep it in mind = make good use of it, or at least try to.
To the issue in hand, my outburst was mainly due to the final realisation of Greek antisemitism.
Till quite recently, I could never, for the life of me, think of Greeks as antisemites. (And they are. Is it part of their Christianity? Or, any other reason? Or, a combination of them all?).
But, till recently, I must confess, I was also rather ignorant about the making of modern Greece. Not to mention the greek “jewish question”, till I read that book about Corfu and aired some impertinent questions..
Was I? I can’t remember. Honestly. If so, Veninzelos, who? The thin one, or the chubby one?
Right, an entire people cannot and should not be labeled as “monster” or “culprit”. Otherwise, it would be perfectly legitimated to destroy the monster and punish the culprit (flawed tactic, as you said).
Why, do you gather modern Greece felt the urge to erase Jewish historic memory afterwards? Guilt?
That goes for all human history, I guess. The burden of inherited guilt and the demand for justice be rendered by naming (=acknowledge) the crime.
Though, none can be blamed for acts (be they of evil or grandeur) committed by someone else long before s/he was born, qui tacet, consentire videtur. And who, even though silently, consents makes it possible for evil to happen again and again.
Now, to acknowledge your sins when seeking forgiveness, is part of the Catholic ethics. That I know for sure. Not quite sure the orthodox share the same views, though. Any insights to offer?
Abravanel είπε
Slow with the kind words or else people will start thinking that you’re another paid agent of the Mossad. :)
It would be wrong to think of greeks as antisemites, as I said greek society is not characterized by an extreme degree of antisemitism. A drive that leads us into finding “enemies” certainly exists in every society and no society is exempt from it. What, in my opinion, is troubling in Greece is the lack of opposition to such phenomena regarding the jewish greeks. The reasons are many and if it were that easy to pinpoint then I would be shouting them at the top of my voice. :)
Religion certainly plays a major role, though we must remember that the Church had been in the past under the control of the State, so it’s responsibility is limited. Unfortunately the recently deceased Arch.Christodoulos did much as to revive suspicion and hatred towards the Jewish Community; the new Archibissop seems more geared to at least avoid the head on offensive typical of the late Christodoulos.
There are also other reasons linked to the struggle Greece had to make to emerge as a new nation in the complex Balkan Peninsula. These include the initial difficulty to define what greek is and what isn’t, the presence of many populations who were of greek spirit but denied the usual definition of greek, the wars with neighboring States to annex territories and many others. It’s a long story but let’s say that Greece is no different from the rest of the western european States, (with maybe religion playing a less important role* and identity-forming mechanisms a more important one).
The same identity-forming mechanisms are responsible for the erasure of jewish history. The need for a national mythology, (I repeat that all nations have a need for a national mythology, conflicted with a reality that was more complex and challenged the established truth. We also need to remember the problematic reality of a crippled democracy in post WW2 Greece; combine this with a tendency to identify the “internal enemy”, ie communists, with the “external enemy”, ie the macedonians/ bulgarians. If one understands how accepting the diverse was views as a threat to national existence, then the jewish question becomes easier to understand.
Of course the fact, in the case of Thessaloniki, there is also the matter of the widespread economic collaboration with the germans which people prefer to overlook. Plus the widespread antisemitism of the 1923 refugees who felt cheated to lose everything in Asia Minor and find “foreigners” have everything at Thessaloniki. ;)
* greeks are less religious than catholic nations. Religion plays a major role in defining the identity of Greece but does not play a major role, spiritually wise.
Dimitris είπε
Jews are collosal antihellenists and this what this creature is venting here. Happy hanuka* malaka. Judaism is neither a religion nor a nation in the modern sense but a religious meme that infects people and makes them think they have something to do with a long extinct middle eastern tribe. In fact modern so called jews are europeans (mostly of germanic origin) in the majority with a few middle eastern populations that also follow the same religion.
*(a jewish celebration where they vent their hatred of Greeks and Hellenism).http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/default_cdo/jewish/Chanukah.htm
Dimitris είπε
Btw about the Chmas a short history lesson is in order:
While no number of Muslim Chams were responsible for atrocities against ethnic Greeks, some were only passive collaborators, distrusting Greeks and simply supporting the realization of a Greater Albania under the Italian occupation regime.
During the Axis occupation the Muslim Chams set up their own administration and militia, part of the fascist Balli Kombetar organization, at Thesprotia and collaborated closely with both the Italians and — when Italy capitulated – the Germans. [3]. Cham units committed, alongside the Wehrmacht, a number of atrocities on their ethnically Greek fellow citizens burning houses and villages. [4],killing several hundred ethnic Greeks and forcing thousands to flee their homes[5].
Muslim Cham units also played an active part in the Holocaust in Greece, including the round-up and expulsion to Auschwitz and Birkenau of the 2,000 strong Romaniotes Greek-Jewish community of Ioannina in April 1944 [6]. As the Germans and their allies began to lose ground to the anti-Nazi militias in 1944, and started retiring in Albania, many hundreds of Chams followed them. [4] [5].
This precipitated the Muslim Chams’ forced expulsion, organized by EDES’s leader Napoleon Zervas, under the instigation and authorisation of the British Military Mission in Greece, headed by Colonel Chris Woodhouse, who reported that:
Encouraged by the Allied Mission I headed, Zervas drove the Chams out of their homes in 1944. The majority fled to find shelter in Albania. Their eviction from Greece was carried out with large-scale bloodshed. Zervas’s work was followed in March 1945 with a large scale massacre of the Filiates Chams that cannot be excused. The result was the eviction of the undesirable Albanian population from their land. [2]
http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ahr/107.4/ah0402001158.html#FOOT10
An analogous case is that of the Albanian Muslim Cham minority, expelled from northwestern Greece on charges of collaboration at the end of the war—an act initiated largely by local military powerbrokers and only afterwards ratified, as it were, by the beleaguered Greek state far away in Athens. 10
Dimitris είπε
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chameria_issue